Bolton guard Logan Barton (30) tries to keep Leesville’s Rodrick Kelly (2) from driving to the basket during a recent game. Barton is a four-year starter for the Bears and is the team’s lone senior.

Photo Courtesy of Melinda Martinez / The Town Talk

1/27/13Barton leads Bolton with defense, rebounding

From The Town Talk

By: Raymond A. Partch III

Logan Barton rarely, if ever, leads his team in scoring.

The 6-foot-2, 168-pound senior is not necessarily a threat to drop 30 points on an opponent or make a spectacular fast break dunk. Yet, Barton's impact on the Bolton boys basketball team, cannot be measured by field goal percentage, says his longtime coach Fred Eloi.

"He's not designed as an offensive threat," said fourth-year Bolton coach Eloi, whose team plays at Leesville on Tuesday. "He likes playing defense and rebounding. We are not the best shooting team and his ability to rebound gives us extra shots. That has been huge for us this season."

"I help the team more on defense," said Barton, who is averaging 8 points and 10 rebounds per game. "Playing defense and getting rebounds is what I give the most to our team."

Barton, though, has also provided needed leadership as the Bears' lone senior.

"It was important to me to have him step into that role," said Eloi. "I told him during the summer that we were going to count on him to be our leader and he has responded."

"We are a really young team this year," said Barton, who earned second-team all-district honors on the football team for the second time this season. "We are still learning how to do the little things right and win close ball games. I'm just trying to do my part to help with that."

Barton is also trying to help the Bears end their longstanding playoff drought. The Bears have not earned a postseason berth since 2007, when Bolton lost to Franklin, 67-56, in the first round. That is the only playoff appearance for the school in the past 10 seasons.

Bolton, 12-9 and 1-4 in District 3-4A, is ranked 37th in the LHSAA power rankings.

"It makes me feel good to be part of the turnaround," said Barton, who is being recruited by Southeastern Louisiana and Southern to be a preferred walk-on for football. "Some people have asked me if I am disappointed that the team is turning a corner now. I tell them 'no' because I know that I can come back here and watch them be great for the next two seasons."

"I was talking about that the other day with my coaches," said Eloi. "To get that experience for this team, for them to get a taste of it and to want more would be huge. But I also want Logan to have that, too, for sticking with the team for four years."